The 2018 meeting of BRLC Committee is held in Surabaya, Indonesia on Sept 12. [Photo/Hangzhou Fabu WeChat]

Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, showcased the merits of the city and its companies in Surabaya, Indonesia during the 7th United Cities and Local Governments Asia-Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) Congress from Sept 12-15.

The theme of the four-day congress, hosted by the Surabaya City Government and jointly organized with UCLG ASPAC, was "Innovation-Driven Development for Sustainable Cities". A number of topics were discussed by scholars and government officials at the congress.

Hangzhou was elected as a member city of the World Council of UCLG in 2016. In 2017, it joined hands with the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC) to initiate the setup of the Belt and Road Local Cooperation (BRLC) Committee under the UCLG organization.

In order to better promote the BRLC Committee and present the city of Hangzhou, a working group consisting of officials and enterprises participated in this year's event in Indonesia.

At the annual meeting of the committee, Song Jingwu, vice chairman of CPAFFC, said that a lot of international exchanges have been conducted over the past year by the committee. Song explained that nearly 60 governments and organizations have become members of the BRLC Committee and it has established partnerships with Alibaba Group, Zhejiang University, People's Daily and BMW China.

Representatives from famous Hangzhou companies including Alibaba, Hikvision and Zhefu Holding Group, shared their experiences in going global with the help of China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Outside the meeting room, the working group set up an exhibition booth to showcase the landscapes, cultural elements and economic development of Hangzhou to foreign participants.

Ren Yuan from Hangzhou-based Alibaba makes a speech at the annual meeting of BRLC Committee in Surabaya, Indonesia on Sept 12. [Photo/Hangzhou Fabu WeChat]